US commercial real estate financing business Lument has promoted Stephanie Culpepper to general counsel, replacing Jim Henson who has stepped down from the role.

Culpepper was previously deputy GC. In her new role, she will also sit on the company’s executive committee. Culpepper is based in Dallas and will report to Ryan Farha, deputy GC and corporate secretary of ORIX USA Group, Lument’s parent company.

Lument provides financing for property investors in commercial real estate such as multifamily dwellings, affordable housing, senior housing and healthcare buildings.

Jim Flynn, CEO at Lument, said: “Stephanie has shown herself to be diligent in representing Lument’s best interests and ensuring that our operations are above reproach. At the same time, she recognises the imperatives of those of us who work directly with clients.”

Culpepper has been with Lument since 2021, becoming deputy GC in May last year. She previously worked at Lument’s parent organisation ORIX, where most recently she was senior managing counsel and director of legal operations, having originally joined in 2017 as assistant GC. 

Prior to her in-house work, she spent two years as a partner at Frost Brown Todd and almost six years at Bell Nunally & Martin, just over a year and a half of them as partner. She started her legal career as an associate at Baker Botts.

Henson, meantime, is stepping back to focus on his role as president of Lument Finance Trust, a position he has held since last May. Henson had been Lument’s GC since 2015 when he joined from Red Capital Group, where he was co-GC. He also previously held GC roles at Stonehenge Financial Holdings and Banc One Capital Holdings.

In other recent finance-related in-house moves, US fintech Broadridge last month hired New York Stock Exchange GC Hope Jarkowski as its chief legal officer, replacing Keir Gumbs who left for US financial advisor Edward Jones last November. Also in April, US investment management giant Vanguard lost its GC Anne Robinson to IBM.